Contemporary production systems for producing or processing technical products generally have a multiplicity of specific, interacting production modules and are becoming increasingly more complex. On a product to be produced or to be processed, generally it is necessary to perform a multiplicity of processing, production or handling steps, for which a multiplicity of production modules specialized therefor, such as e.g. robots, CNC machines, 3D printers, reactors, burners, heating installations or conveyor belts, are provided in the production system. For processing purposes, the product has to be transported through the production system on a path that reaches all production modules specific to the work steps to be performed in the envisaged processing order.
It is known to provide a central unit for production control in the production system, in which central unit the production modules available in the production system and their specific functionalities are indicated and managed. These indications also comprise, in particular, the transport possibilities for products in the production system. The paths that are intended to be taken by the products to be processed through the production system are planned in the central unit. The planned paths are communicated in each case to the transport modules involved, which convey the products through the production system in accordance with these central stipulations.
However, failure, exchange or addition of a production module in the production system generally necessitates replanning of the product paths by the central unit and communication of the replanned product paths to the production modules involved. This can lead to outage times for the entire production system. Such outage times of the entire production system can also occur upon failure of the central unit.